The National - The Runway (Live on Q TV)

Wonderful new National tracked titled The Runway has arrived on youtube via Q TV. It's graceful, aching, hushed, whisky bruised and deep rooted in melancholy. I can’t wait for the new LP on the back of this. The fragile beauty of the track looks like it’s going to be a classic!

Steven Wells RIP

It was sad to hear of the passing of Steven Wells ex NME scribe. He died on Tuesday after a three year battle against cancer. He was found to be suffering from Hodgkin's lymphoma three years ago and despite the disease going into remission, he later contracted stomach cancer.

He was a firebrand and full of fury and polemic when writing for the NME first as Susan Williams and then later under his own name. He took on the pomposity of musicians, class and homophobia. He was a champion of the Manic Street Preachers and clashed with Shaun Ryder and Bez from the Happy Mondays about their blatant and sickening homophobia. I can remember reading the piece at the time and being both angry at the Happy Mondays and glad someone had taken them to task about it. He also found time to write about football, American Sports Culture,TV and media and his battle against cancer plus this one..

It such a shame thats the NME is currently so vanilla, inane and flat.

May he Rage in Peace

Here are some of the tributes:

Pitchfork
NME
Guardian Sport
Guardian - James Brown
Clash

Some examples of Steven Well’s work
Happy Monday and Steven Wells